1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to employment of a piezoelectric device to scavenge and store ambient energy.
2. Related Art and Other Considerations
Scavenging and storing ambient energy has long been a scientific curiosity. Many types of ambient energy have been harvested with varying degrees of success. These include solar, wind and vibration energy to name a few. The concept of scavenging vibration energy with piezoelectric devices has received considerable attention, but until recently the amount of energy produced by a piezoelectric device was considered insufficient for powering any reasonable scale device. The advent of ultra-low power electronics has renewed interest in piezogenerators as potential power sources for these new devices.
A recent approach to piezoelectric power generation involves using many piezogenerators operating in parallel to produce much greater power outputs. Tanner, E. T., “Combined Shock and Vibration Isolation Through the Self-Powered, Semi-Active Control of a Magnetorheological Damper in Parallel with an Air Spring,” Disseration submitted to Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Dec. 2003.